Stargate: Dark Frontier 2x02 Stepping Out
by Lone-ranger1
Summary: The Olim invasion thwarted and avenged, Atlantis has recovered its ZPMs. Daedalus is back en route to Atlantis, but something has happened. Atlantis is in a fight for its life if it wants to outrun the reaper, and Radek may hold the key.
1. Chapter 1

**Stargate: Dark Frontier**

**Season 2 **

**Episode 2 – Steppin' Out**

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_304 days in Hoag's Object_

_2 Days After Olim Invasion (AOI)_

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For information on previous season, go to

http(COLON)//sg-darkfrontier(DOT)wikia(DOT)com/wiki/Stargate(COLON)_Dark_Frontier_Wiki

**Previously on Dark Frontier:** _T__he Olim invasion thwarted and avenged, Atlantis has recovered its ZPMs. Daedalus is back en route to Atlantis, but the mood is somber. Katana is dead, not everyone was rescued, and there's a tension in the air that makes it difficult to breath._

_The battle is over, but the war has only begun._

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**Chuck Campbell:** _Well, you're grouchy, irritable, and I don't think any of us has eaten anything but noodles in the past two days._

**Alicia Vega: **_Chuck, is there a point to this?_

**Chuck Campbell:** _I'm just sayin'. I guess I'm Gaeta, Sheppard's Lee, and you're Starbuck._

**Alicia Vega:** _Does that make Carter Adama?_

**Chuck Campbell:** _I wonder how she sounds with the Edward James Olmos voice._

**John Sheppard:** _Leese, you mind driving for a while? I'm going to go hang myself._

* * *

"Ten seconds to normal space."

Kevin remained silent, everyone was silent. The cost had been so high, but the price of inaction would have been higher.

He leaned forward, using his hands to squeeze the bridge of his nose. In part, it was frustration, but another part was sorrow. The crew had sworn allegiance to him no matter what, even though his latest order wasn't all that popular.

Atlantis would have a new meaning, and not necessarily a better one.

The _Daedalus_ ripped through the barrier between normal space and hyperspace seamlessly, and immediately began to take hits on the deflector shields. Kevin raised his head at the alarms sounding and saw his crew jump into action. "Report!"

Ry took a quick scan, and called it out as the information scrolled across his screen. "Debris field! Scanners can't make it out!"

Kevin got to his feet and watched on the viewscreen. He'd seen this sort of debris field before, when he'd destroyed a Shade Tinman. "Wide system scan! Find out what's going on out there!" He already knew it, all he wanted was confirmation. _Daedalus_ was nudging aside the massive debris field, pushing through and clearing the visual of the planet and moon ahead.

Jalen was silent throughout it all. He'd been silent since leaving the Olim planet. Ry again spoke. "I think it's Shade remains. It matches what we've got from the Tinman we destroyed. Planet's coming into view."

Kevin felt his heart rate increase, the planet was there… barely. "_Jesus Christ." _The largely water based moon had been frozen over, one of the Giant Shade creatures hovering over it with its long heatsink deployed.

It wouldn't be long for the creature to shatter the planet, and begin the process of harvesting it. It didn't make sense to Kevin. As far as he knew the Shade didn't come out this far. But here they were and… and Atlantis was nowhere to be seen. "_Evasive!_ How long for hyperdrive?"

The crew were speechless, the thoughts going through everyone's mind the same. Atlantis was a huge power source, especially given that they'd just recovered their ZPMs. Something had drawn the Shade here and now. Saudade was little more than a frozen rock ready to be shattered into manageable chunks.

Kevin ended up having to jump back into his seat and take manual control of the ship. He quickly spun the craft around hoping to use the gas giant as a barrier between them, but the viewscreen filled with more debris, except this wasn't all inert. Dozens… _hundreds_ of Shade Gremlins floated about picking at their fallen brethren. Many had noticed the _Daedalus_ and now moved forward.

Kevin didn't hesitate and now spat fire orders. "Railguns to auto-point defense! Bring forward missile tubes online! Load a Mark 8 into the rear tubes! _Move, move, move_!"

Snapping back to reality, the crew leapt into action. Atlantis was nowhere to be seen, but _Daedalus_ wasn't going to go down without one _hell_ of a fight.

* * *

On those odd days that she got to ride in a Jumper or examine some gene specific ancient doohickey, Sam wished that she had the gene, or that the gene therapy wouldn't cause complications given the protein marker in her blood. It was such a crock, too. Jolinar had caused her more of a headache than should be possible.

Staring out the window of the Jumper examining the damage to the city, Sam sighed heavily, too tired now to yawn.

Two days now, two days they'd been running. _Navras _and _Alenko _had been unable to keep up, so they went on their own because these damn Shade kept on coming. Sometimes it took minutes, sometimes… like now, it took hours. Most of the city was in chaos; there were only enough security to keep the center tower with all the highly sensitive equipment safe.

The memory still flashed before her. Only an hour had passed since getting back to the city and reinstalling the ZPMs. There wasn't time for anything. Not checking on the wounded, not surveying the city, not even to eat.

When the sun suddenly blacked out, Sam understood full well why they were called Shade.

"Roland… let's check out that tower on the east pier where the Gremlins landed. I want to make sure there isn't any structural damage."

The Traveler pilot next to her, one of the few Travelers that had passed Dan's Marine Corp training and agreed with the gene therapy looked at her strangely. "We already did that."

Wincing hard, Sam rubbed her eyes as she remembered. It'd been the first thing she checked. "Right, right…" Floating in the cold vastness of space, Sam realized that lack of sleep was getting to her. Not that she really wanted to think about bed, not after the last time she'd been in one.

Focusing on Atlantis below her, the Jumper flying inside the shield, Sam spotted so many scars. How many were _theirs?_ How many of these gouges in the city of the Ancestors were there because her people, the choices they made led to destruction?

One tower in particular made her turn away. It was the tower that had been cut off when Atlantis left Lantea after the Asuran gate beam weapon attacked. The same tower John and Radek had had to jump to in zero gravity. She turned away because she didn't dare think about Radek right now.

There were new scars that begged her attention, and likely it was something hiding in those scars that kept the Shade after them. "Keep scanning, if you pick up any strange readings then move in to investigate, we can't take any chances that…"

An alarm began to sound, and Sam silently cursed as Roland reported. "Contact! Distorted readings on the other side of the city, five minutes out at maximum speed."

There was no need to question who it was. They'd given them a respite, almost two hours this time, but the chase was on again. John's tired voice came in over the speakers. "_Get yer asses back, I'm gettin' ready to jump again."_

Sam gave a soft scoffing laugh. Jump… this wasn't science fiction, you didn't _jump_ into hyperspace…

* * *

"Keep us away from the Tinmen! Fire missiles at dense concentrations!" Kevin shifted the _Daedalus_ into a high speed. He'd rather ram into the oncoming Gremlins than face multiple Tinmen and that godforsaken monster that was tearing Saudade apart.

Jalen followed his orders and quickly input targeting data. "Missiles away!"

With the Gremlins charging in as well, they were met head on by a quartet of Mark 4 conventional explosive missiles. The shockwaves easily shattered them apart, almost a dozen at a time, but there were just so _goddamned_ many of them. Kevin turned _Daedalus_ into the thinnest mass of them, and _Daedalus_ punched into the crowd. "How long for hyperdrive!?"

Ry held to his controls, panic would lead to somewhere bad. "Just a minute! Need to…"

Not letting him finish, Marks watched as Shade Gremlins splattered as they tried to latch onto the _Daedalus'_ shield, which shockingly seemed to be effective against the energy draining bastards. "_I don't care! Just get us outta here!"_

The mission, survival; but Marks knew just how long a minute of combat in space was. Especially with hundreds of targets and a _really_ big Shade on his ass. He didn't ask if anyone was ready, but he keyed in the firing sequence for the Mark 8 nuke in the rear tubes. Hopefully, dropping it like a mine wouldn't attract attention, at least until it blew and fried those Shade out of existence. At least Kevin hoped that's how it worked. The Shade had proven resilient to just about anything he could throw at them and he was _not_ in the mood for another _Fratboy Maneuver_.

As sad as it was, Kevin would miss them all, even Chuck.

* * *

The Shade were oddly beautiful; the way the light from the few stars in the general vicinity reflected off them gave them a pristine look. Almost like if they were a beautiful centerpiece to a dinner set, not a ravenous and insatiable creature capable of eating planets and stars. Daniel snickered once as he thought about what Chuck would say Stan Lee would think.

Another Jump, another close call, but it was nothing compared to the madness on Atlantis. Almost a thousand Settlers, only half of their population, and another twenty-five hundred Travelers were on Atlantis. They were alone. The rest were on ships and settled planets. Helpless, defenseless.

The Drones worked, the Ancients had done a good job and John had racked up two Tinmen in a single barrage, but Daniel knew they couldn't keep up that level of combat, not forever.

"Daniel?"

Turning as he stood on the penthouse of Atlantis, the last room with windows before going out into the exposed environment where only a shield kept the air in, Daniel faced Teyla who was armed with a Particle Magnum. "What is it, Teyla?"

Teyla looked tired, just like everyone. She didn't have to stay awake… not even Daniel had to stay awake, but sleep wasn't something that occupied their thoughts. "Alrich is willing to negotiate, but he wants both of us there. He says you know how to speak 'Settler' _and_ 'Traveler', but you aren't either."

Sighing, Daniel nodded. He'd always loved cultures and studying how they worked. He should have seen the Olim betrayal coming… he should have seen the animosity between the Pegasus survivors more keenly. Daniel also didn't have time for recriminations and shook it off. "Torren?"

Teyla pursed her lips. "With Jinto. My people are in the central tower and safe."

Taking Teyla into his arms, Daniel knew this hug was more for them both than just her. "They're _my_ people, too." Hearing Teyla scoff softly, more out of amusement than actual derision, Daniel pushed her away and stared her in the face. "I'm not kidding, Teyla. We're all human. I don't care whether you were born on a ship in space, on a planet in Pegasus, here in Hoag's Object or Earth. The Olim have it wrong; focusing on our differences is just going to get us all killed. We need to focus on our similarities."

Teyla was still smiling in amusement. She'd come to accept Daniel as the ambassador for humanity, and it was hysterical to see him get righteous. "Then that's all the more reason you need to come with me to see Alrich before we have another riot on our hands."

Seeing that she was agreeing with him, Daniel shrugged and fixed his collar from where Teyla had wrapped her arms around him. "Right, well uhh…lead on."

Despite the danger of the situation, and the face that the hyperspace window opening behind them caused a great flash through the window, Teyla was happy that she was back on Atlantis with her family.

* * *

"All tubes ready!"

Marks flexed his fist cracking his knuckles and hit the flashing button on his armrest. _"Fire!"_

The _Daedalus_'s shields were buckling form the constant strain, but the craft suddenly began to spin like a top on its pitch, spitting slugs out from every railgun and missiles from every tube. Another pair of nukes had fired, and the hyperspace window ahead of _Daedalus_ began to form.

Kevin oddly mused if maybe Chuck would call this the "_Marks Maneuver_". God knew the man was a sci-fi military geek. How _else_ did the bastard end up on Atlantis?

Shade Gremlins buckled into themselves from the force of the high velocity slugs of Trinium blanketing the _Daedalus_. They exploded into brilliant shards of silicon crystal encased in slowly freezing acids, the ignited Naquadah in them giving the crystals a bright shine.

A full eight missiles flew out, two of them with Mark 8 Warheads. Saudade had just been shattered by the huge Shade creature and that entire area of the solar system was now a debris field, thousands of smaller rocks falling into orbit and burning up in the atmosphere of the blue gas giant.

Kevin said a final prayer for Atlantis, and forced the ship ahead into the hyperspace window. There were still Traveler ships, there were still Settlers. He was the ranking officer and as downright furious as he was, that aspect of him that had been so ingrained in training would never leave him.

The _Daedalus_ finally entered the hyperspace window generator, and moments later, twin suns detonated and engulfed the sea of Shade Gremlins. Hundreds of them absorbed as much energy as they could, and when they couldn't absorb anymore, they shattered and boiled into vapor from the almost solar levels of heat created by the Naquadah enhanced nuclear explosions.

Saudade and the entire solar system was nothing but a graveyard now, a graveyard the surviving Shade grimly began to pick through for usable materials.

* * *

"Thanks, Carson. Guess you must hate sittin' in this thing?"

Carson gave John a grave look, the bags under his eyes showing just how tired the doctor was. "I'll be glad when Major Vega's back on her feet, which if I'm right about her, should be within the day."

John settled back into the Atlantis Control Chair; that'd be the last time he used the washroom during a crisis. "Didn't you say three weeks?" Inserting the vial of dexadrine into the hypospray, Carson leaned over and gave John a hard smack on the shoulder with it, injecting him. "_Ow!_ The _hell_ was that?"

Carson merely shrugged off the accusation. "Dexadrine, and I know what I told ya, but I also know Vega's not going to listen and I might as well keep you awake so she can rest."

Too tired to care about Carson's actions, John merely rubbed his forehead. The drug would keep him awake for a few hours at worst, another day or two at best. But awake wasn't the same as alert, and he needed to be fully alert if he was going to keep them out of harm's way.

* * *

The Settler leaders had finally been united, but Daniel wished they'd picked a less aggressive spokesman. Alrich wasn't the smartest of them by far, but he was clever and had a way with words. Daniel couldn't help but suspect that Alrich was stupider than he looked, but was suave enough that it wasn't obvious.

"My people have been more than patient with yours, Doctor Jackson. While we appreciate your care, do not misinterpret us. We must have our lives! Being confined to a single area is driving my people mad! We don't know whether we'll even live beyond the end of the week, what with these Shade chasing us at every opportunity."

Daniel was _not_ enjoying this. The Settlers were typically calm people, but he understood that when _anyone_ was thrust into a situation they weren't comfortable or entirely aware of what was going on, it was only natural that they lashed out. "I understand that, Alrich, really I do. We've told you all we know and we're trying to stabilize things as best we can."

The small side conference room at the base of the tower was packed, and Teyla tried to keep everyone calm. "Both the Travelers and the EarthBorn are much better equipped to handle the situation, Alrich. I understand that you wish to know what is happening, but we cannot expect them to keep everyone in the city apprised during a crisis."

Scoffing, Alirich retorted. "All I know is that many of our people are dead or wounded, and the homes we built on Saudade are no more. I would merely like to know _why _I'm going to die."

Daniel sighed and tried not to offend Alrich with his frustration. Less than fifty wounded and less than a dozen dead. Horrible yes, but the Travelers had suffered far worse. Diplomacy was hard; where was Jack or Teal'c when you needed them?

* * *

"That's the latest… sensors are helping but they managed to break into an armory. We're missing a bunch of Wraith stunners and handguns, some tacvests too. No heavy weapons but still…"

Sam let her head fall into her hands. Sleep beckoned but she swatted it away in her mind. Sleep meant that she was giving up. Sleep meant that Sam Carter couldn't hack it. "Any casualties?"

Nevas shook his head, his head still ached from the injury before, but he was holding it together. "None, thank the ancestors, but we're down to seventy able security bodies. Ronon's out there with my freshest men, but it's a big city. Sensors don't work everywhere."

Sam forced her neck up and looked at Nevas. The control room was no place to have a briefing, but the few Travelers that were around didn't care. They just made sure all power to the hyperspace generator, gravity generator, and even the air recycling system were working. "I know, the city's taken a beating over the years and I'm not surprised." Sam pulled up and looked to Nevas. "Keep trying to maintain the peace. I don't think they'll be coming to the control room any time soon so you can take a few people from here. Is there anyone else who you might be able to trust with policing?"

Nevas shrugged. "Well, I could talk to the others, but I don't know them. My guys won't play favorites, but I don't know about anyone else."

Wincing softly, Sam bit her lips before replying. "I was thinking of putting some Settlers on police duty as well, try and get them involved so they feel like they're having a voice too."

Nevas shook his head right away and leaned back on the console. "They just stole a bunch of weapons; they might be able to use stunners, but we've got no idea what was in those TacVests. If we start _giving_ them guns, what'll happen then?"

It was true, and Sam knew that while most of the Settlers weren't cavemen, few were used to advanced technology and its specifics. "Can we at least get some of them to work with your men? As intermediaries or something?"

Nevas hadn't heard Sam talk like this before, almost as if she were pleading for it to get done. "…Maybe. We'd need to find good ones that aren't going to cause problems," Before Sam could reply, Nevas realized that it really was a good idea, and nodded. "I'll talk to Teyla and Jackson. See if I can round anyone up."

A little assuaged, Sam moved onto the next point. "Good. Now, has anyone seen any Shade left?"

Nevas again shook his head. "Nah, I think we got 'em all. Ran outta simple rocket launchers though. Just guns and those big complicated launchers left."

More than a little frustrated, Sam spat out tersely. "That _can't _be right. There _has_ to be one left we haven't found. It's the only explanation for how they can track us."

Nevas could see Sam wasn't in a good mood. Then again, he didn't blame her. "We're _still_ looking, but fifteen people out there isn't a whole lot. We're talking a city that can hold _fifty thousand._ And we still only got four pilots right now apart from Sheppard and Leesha. Most of our pilots were on our ships."

_One problem after another._ Sam took a deep breath and turned back to her console where she kept trying to track down errant signals in the city, trying to find out how the hell the Shade kept finding them. "I know… _I know._ Just…keep looking. We can't keep this up forever and we need to figure this out sooner rather than later."

Atypically quiet, Nevas simply nodded and ran his hand through his hair. "Any word on Larrin?"

Sam winced, another name she didn't want to think about right now. "I checked the infirmary. She left. I-I don't know where she is...she's not picking up her radio either so… so I don't know." Sam hated those three words. It meant she was failing, it meant that she'd let something slip and it was biting her on the ass now.

Nevas bit his lips for a second, then simply turned around and walked away. Sam didn't need to turn back and look to know the other Travelers were giving her that same look they'd been giving her for awhile now. That "who _is_ this?" look that had been brewing.

* * *

Alicia watched those around her. She'd flat out _refused_ a wheelchair, and crutches were more bothersome than anything else. At least a cane made her look kinda cool, and who knew? People might think she was carrying a sword. She almost wished she was just to finally get some answers from that Olim bastard.

He was sitting on his bed, having raised the back so he could be more comfortable. Carson had even given him a full shot of morphine for the pain. Alicia felt bad about his injury. She couldn't imagine what it'd be like to lose an eye, but his actions spoke much louder than his words. He'd stopped her from killing that bitch, and she wanted to know why.

Aleron merely remained still, focused on little else but his body. He could feel those around him, the anger, the pain, the suffering. Was he to blame? No. It was stupid to think such things. The ones to blame were the old ones of the Olim. The ones who were so stuck in their beliefs that nothing existed in the universe beyond them.

Aleron could have seen Atlantis allying themselves against the Shade. These were overall good people, not the primates and monkeys Menalus labeled them. Sure, some were a little more primal than others. Ironically, the one called Alicia… the one staring at him and hoping to tear his head off, she was relatively close to an Augustine. She could have passed for one with a little meditation. Instead she seemed the least civil of them all, ready to kill an unarmed woman even if she had stabbed her.

Mercy was one of the marks of a great man. Evidently, Aleron was only a good one as he buried the anger over her potential wrath. His body was more important. His concentration would serve better to force his body into a healing state, not imagining what she'd do to him, and vice versa if they had a few moments alone.

His eye wouldn't heal, and he still felt it itching inside there, how could it itch if it wasn't there anymore? Aleron would have to ask Carson, but it was done, and the emotion thinking about his eye brought up would just need to be buried. Anger was a dark feeling, something many Olim soldiers fell prey to. Something even Aquilina had fallen victim to. Anger was… _unhealthy._

Nearby, in a wall-mounted stasis pod, Radek Zelenka lay back with a hole in his gut, but an image in his mind. He was standing there, on top of a pier of Atlantis, watching the waves crest against the metal of the city itself. It was oddly calming, and looking up, Radek saw a red sky, starless, sunless, and dotted with cirrus clouds. A strange construct was floating there as well, but it didn't seem odd to Radek at the time.

It was beautiful, the kind of place Radek had always wanted to go to. The kind of place that he could truly call home.

"Radek."

Turning at his name, Radek was both shocked, and at the same time, unsurprised by who was standing there watching him. "_You_… I was right. I _am_ dead."

* * *

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	2. Chapter 2

"So… is this Heaven? Or some kind of wish fulfillment of my soul?"

Rodney chuckled as Radek guessed. "Nope, and nope. Well actually, No, and 'Sorta'. Since you _are_ the one making this up."

Radek found Rodney just as hard to follow as before. "So… I _am_ dead? Or am I?"

Shrugging, Rodney rubbed his hands together. "Technically… no, you're not dead. But you're pretty close and the others decided to give me a break seeing as I kinda begged and all."

"Sorry? _Others? Begged?" _Radek fixed his glasses and stared back at Rodney. "Where are we?"

With a soft sigh, Rodney turned to Atlantis and pointed. "See that tower there? You're in a stasis pod. Me? I'm… ha… well I'm sorta all over the place."

Furrowing his brow, Radek guessed again. "So… this is a near death experience?"

Looking around emphatically, Rodney shrugged again. "I don't see any light tunnels."

Huffing in irritation, Radek poked Rodney in the chest. "Then why don't you just tell me? This is the strangest vision I've ever had."

Rodney raised his eyebrows. "You've had visions before? Ah so that explains a bit." Not letting Radek get a counterpoint out, Rodney nodded. "You're not dead, Radek, and neither am I… well… Technically speaking of course."

That left Radek just as confused as ever. "Sorry? _Technically_?

"Come on… even you can guess this one."

Annoyed, Radek began going over the possibilities. "Well… we know that energy can exist in many forms, one could say the Soul has the same laws of thermodynamics and does not cease to exist, rather just becomes a different form of energy…." Realizing what he was saying, Radek turned back to Rodney. "Oh my god… you're Ascended."

Rodney held up his hand in a fist. "_Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding!_ We have a winner! Or at least another horse crosses the finish line."

Scoffing, Radek shook his head in disbelief. "I'm not quite so sure I believe this… Why would Rodney McKay ascend? He had so much to do in Atlantis."

Sighing, Rodney reached out and took Radek's shoulder. "That… is a long story. You may want to ask Sheppard about it, but be careful how to broach the subject."

Looking at Rodney's hand, Radek snorted. "You aren't helping your case."

Huffing in equal irritation, Rodney realized he'd have to go about this the long way.

* * *

Frozen. That's about as close as he could figure it. The wall doesn't feel cold, but they might as well have tossed him into the fridge for all it was worth. Ronon had seen many wounded men and women. He'd seen the strongest soldiers cry out for mercy and help, but nothing compared to seeing Radek standing there, a hole in his gut.

Why was Ronon the only one here? Where were all these people who were supposedly the man's friend? Why the _hell_ was Ronon taking time out from keeping the Settlers and Travelers from killing each other?

There had been a lack of focus on Atlantis, something he'd seen back when they first met the Olim, and something he'd tried to explain to Dusty. She'd refused and insisted on her way. No matter. That was done and over with. Ronon had a mission now and this whole problem had proven it. Atlantis wasn't ready to be on its own. Atlantis was pathetic and weak. Atlantis needed him to give everyone around here a stiff and unyielding kick in the ass.

"Ronon? What are you doing here?"

Turning, Ronon faced off with Alicia who limped using a cane. She'd been improving, but at the same time Ronon could tell she wasn't anywhere near ready to make the hard decisions. Killing someone was easy, fighting for your home was easy, building a life and finding your place in the chaos was hard. "Vega… thought you were laid up."

Alicia shook her head, and turned to look at Aleron. "Not a chance... If John passes out I gotta go take over the Chair. And I'm not letting _him_ out of my sight."

To Alicia's intense shock, Ronon reached out and grabbed her by the collar. In her weakened state, there was no way she could fight it and she grimaced as her leg cried out in pain, her sliced arm whining as well. Ronon's voice was low and utterly intimidating. _"You lay one finger on him, and I'll kill you…slowly."_

Dropping her, Ronon stalked off without another word. Renata off to the side gasped at the scene, and quickly ran over to help Alicia. Alicia was too shocked to say anything, and neither resisted nor accepted the help Renata gave her getting back to her feet or rather, a nearby seat.

Looking into the stasis pod from her clear vantage point, Alicia wondered what the hell looking at Radek had stirred up in Ronon.

* * *

"We should strike back! If Atlantis is gone then we're the last strength left in the galaxy!"

"You chuggin' enzyme? You saw that ship! What if they have more? We can't fight more than one of those and I'm not about to risk my family for revenge!"

"I'm not saying we risk the fleet. We gather up everyone left and _Daedalus_ can tear the Olim apart! Make them _pay_ for what they've done!"

Kevin tried to stay sane throughout it all. The past two days had been little but screaming and yelling. Most of the crew wanted revenge, but not all were willing to risk it without some assurances. If the Olim platforms were any indication, _Daedalus_ could wipe out the entire Olim civilization.

Turning over to look at Dan who was standing by the door, his Particle Rifle concealed under his jacket, Kevin wondered just when things got so utterly and truly…_fucked_ _up_. Urias and Jalen along with Tagris and Heljan all continued to argue; weren't these people Katana's crew? The ones who'd gotten along so well?

"I want them to pay too, but the _right people_. It wasn't _everyone _who attacked us. It was that Men-of-Ass guy who did it! Don't you even _read_ the reports Atlantis gives out?"

Kevin started to laugh. In the extreme emotional state he was in, nothing else made sense. "_Men of ass_? Ha… **Ha-_ha_!"**

Dan at the doorway raised an eyebrow. He'd found it amusing too, but he was too sleepy to laugh. Kevin had asked him to make sure the ship was kept in order, and with his men under him, not a single incident had happened yet. He sure as hell didn't want to be known as the guy who stunned the entire _Daedalus_ command staff.

Kevin continued to laugh, almost unbelievably by the sound of his voice, and he simply got up. Jalen looked at him. "Kev! Where you going?"

Waving off the question, Kevin looked to Dan and motioned with his head to follow. He'd heard more than enough about the Marine Captain to plan his next move. Even if the crew mutinied and took the ship, they'd get nowhere without his command codes. They were already on a course to the last known position of the _Karyan_, so it'd be about another day before anything could happen.

And in that day, Kevin planned to get utterly shitfaced. Just stone cold, utterly, and unrepentantly _drunk_. Thank God he had an alcoholic bodyguard for now.

* * *

The beeping of the EKG was constant reminder of just what had happened. Rafaela couldn't get it out of her mind. Was that shot meant for her? She _was_ carrying equipment that singled her out. Did the Olim miss and hit Dusty? Was that why it was a gut shot instead of a head or chest shot?

Dusty's entire mid-section was a mix of the white biofoam, with red accenting around the jagged wound. Reyna had explained Dusty's injuries in detail, and Rafaela had lost her lunch. Now she was losing sleep, or rather, maintaining her sanity because the few minutes she had been able to get were just rapidly deteriorating nightmares.

Rafaela had always been safe on Atlantis, and even on her recon missions she'd felt relatively okay since the entire team was with them. She'd grown accustomed to guns firing and giant big and nasty spiders trying to take a bite out of her.

What she hadn't gotten used to or even imagined, was having to sit here and watch her friend struggle to keep on living. Reyna was off to the side, swaying in place as she inserted a new IV bag into one of the wounded Traveler's lines. He nodded thanks to her, something she gave a gentle nod back to.

Squeezing Dusty's hand once more, Rafaela got up and staggered over to where Reyna now looked at her tablet, her eyes fluttering like they had weights attached. "Rey?"

Looking up at Rafaela, Reyna blinked once hard, stretching her face, then sighed. "Yeah?"

"How do you deal with it?" Not feeling very talkative, Rafaela got straight to the point. "How… how can you keep sane like this?"

Reyna chuckled softly, it wasn't the first time she'd been asked and she was sure it wouldn't be the last time. "Who says I do?" She continued chuckling and drew her hand through her long hair, pulling the frazzled locks out from in front of her eyes. "Everyone deals with it, Ella… some people ignore it, others cry, I… I guess I just try not to think about it…" She sniffled once and then got up. "I save my crying for when I'm alone… or with someone I trust… but I'm not at that point yet and I need to make sure everyone's going to be okay so I can take a nap… so please… either go to sleep or at least don't get in the way. I'm sorry but I need to focus."

Rafaela gulped and did as she was told. Reyna trod forward, obviously exhausted but looking for respite. Considering what Reyna had said though, Rafaela could really only think of one thing to do now. There was nobody on the ship she really trusted except…

So she left the infirmary silently, still praying for Dusty in her mind.

* * *

Kevin stumbled into his quarters. Dan sure as hell knew how to pick his booze, and as quickly as he'd gotten semi-drunk, it was taking time to get to that sweet spot where he forgot why he was drinking. Something about how fast alcohol metabolized rang in his head, but it didn't matter.

To his surprise, he heard sobbing inside his room. Kevin already knew who it was, and he bowed his head. Drinking was the easy way out, the stress relief to his nerves only temporary. Dropping the bottle, Kevin took slow calculated steps into his bedroom.

This was probably the only safe place for her. The only place she could find someone on board she trusted, someone who… well… like it or not he'd fallen in love with them both.

His own eyes watering, Kevin knew he had to be strong now. It would dishonor Katana to let Mila go at this alone. So Kevin sat down on the chair next to the bed, listening to Mila sobbing softly into the pillow as she lay curled up on the bed. He knew his breath stank of tequila, so he said nothing and instead only put a comforting hand on Mila's shoulder.

_"I'm so sorry." _The now 16 year old girl continued to sniffle, and didn't let Kevin see her face.

Knowing that at moments like this, people tended to be irrational, especially since he himself had almost succumbed to a crutch, Kevin asked gently. "Why?"

Mila wiped her face clean of the tears, and said. "_Everyone who gets close to me dies…"_

Never having seen Mila this distraught before, Kevin tried to wrap his head around the concept. He knew Mila was an orphan, and that Katana had taken care of her, but had she lost anyone else? "Is that what you think? That it's _your_ fault?"

Mila sniffled loudly again and curled up tighter. "I… I just wish you'd never met us."

_Really_ confused now, Kevin squeezed Mila's shoulder and saw that she did appreciate his company. Thinking about Katana was pushing his limits, but he held it together to be a pillar for Mila. "Why?"

Covering his hand with hers Mila spoke softly. _"I don't want to lose you too… but it's inevitable… I-I'm cursed… My parents… Katana… Larrin… Radek… you're the only one left and I don't want to lose you."_

Seeing just how emotional and irrational Mila was, Kevin fought past the drunken fugue and pulled Mila over. She turned away and covered her face, ashamed to be caught crying but she didn't fight the hug.

"Don't ever say that again… you're not cursed…" Kevin felt something he'd never thought he'd experience. He'd only known Mila for a little less than a year, but spending so much time with her and Katana, almost every day for hours on end, she'd become family. She might not be his biological daughter, but he sure as hell felt a fatherly protectiveness about her.

Mila dropped her head into his shoulder using his jumpsuit to dry her eyes. "_Then why do people I care about keep dying around me?"_

Kevin found he didn't have an answer, but realizing that they both needed to get sleep if they were going to run the ship, he sat her down on the bed. "I don't know… but I know it's not you. Now try to get some sleep, Mila… I'll be here."

Mila wrapped her arms around her body protectively, and lay back down on the bed. Kevin didn't mind, he'd sleep on the couch. It wouldn't be the first time he operated on hardly any sleep. With Mila on the bed, Kevin pulled up the blanket and tucked her in carefully to make sure she was comfortable.

Sitting back now, Kevin grabbed the spare pillow and lay down on the couch. A few hours were better than nothing, and he hoped that maybe he could sleep without dreaming.

* * *

"Dan? _Oh my God… you're drunk."_

Dan swaggered in place, a bottle of tequila in one hand and his shirt off. He'd been about to try and sleep dammit. "The hell you doin' here, Ella?"

"I… I wanted to talk." Rafaela turned away from Dan, unbelieving that he'd somehow found alcohol on a ship in space.

Dan scoffed softly, and rolled his eyes as he turned and motioned her in. Taking a swig from his bottle, he sat down on the small chair beside the bed in the small quarters. As the ranking official, they'd given him some privacy. "So what? Whaddya want from me?" He was slurring his words, obviously he'd had quite a bit to drink already and Rafaela couldn't believe it when she saw another bottle on the table, empty.

Sitting on the bed, Rafaela rubbed her face. "I-I can't sleep. I just keep thinking about Dusty and…"

Dan huffed through his nose and drunkenly stared off into nothing. "And?"

Incredulous, Rafaela's jaw trembled as she bit her lip. "_How can you say that? Isn't she your friend?"_

"Of course… she's my little _prasnjav_…" Dan chuckled, but it was obvious it wasn't a simple laugh of amusement.

"Then how can you sit here… drinking when she's…" Rafaela couldn't finish it, and instead pulled her knees up to her face, now completely supported by the bed.

Dan bowed his head and sighed. He was _tired_, and sleep could be just as effective a weapon as a fully decked out rifle. "She knew the risks… we all do."

Watching him take another swig, Rafaela waited a few seconds before speaking again. "_Is that how you cope?_ By _drinking_?"

Dan shrugged in his seat. "No. Helps me stay asleep."

Looking at the half empty bottle on the table, as well as the near empty one in his hand, Rafaela motioned to it. "Does it help?"

Now half-scoffing, half laughing incredulously, Dan muttered. "What do you _want_, Rafaela? Why'd you come here?" He took another swig of the high proof liquor, now staring expectantly.

Rafaela took a long deep breath, forcing herself not to cry in front of him. "I… God, how can you be so _cold?"_

Still staring at her, Dan answered as he thought about it. "It's what keeps me going…it's why _I'm_ alive and half my graduating class _aren't_."

Sniffling now, Rafaela covered her face as she kept her eyes from tearing up. She remained silent for a bit, and then motioned to the bottle on the table. "Do you mind?"

Dan could see she was distraught beyond belief. He questioned exactly what she wanted, but he wasn't about to deny her some comfort. "Knock yourself out."

* * *

"I'm sorry, but we still have no idea how the Shade are tracking us. We've got someone in the chair round the clock, but unless we can stop them from following, it's a moot point."

Daniel winced at Sam's words. He'd managed to corral all these Settler and Traveler leaders together in the conference room, but there was little hope of an amicable agreement. "Be that as it may, I still think these people should have a right as to where they're being housed."

Sam sighed heavily; it'd been over fifty hours since she'd last gotten any sleep, and even worse, the sporadic riots spreading throughout the massive halls of the city were starting to take their toll. "We don't have the manpower to do that, Daniel. We've cleared several areas, but we still think there might be a Shade out there."

The most outspoken Settler leader, Alrich, got up and barked. "And who are you to decide this for us? You're no better than the Travelers who trod us underfoot!"

Seated across from him, Nevas raised his head and growled back. "Well _maybe_ if you people stopped trying to mess around with technology you know nothing about…"

Sam closed her eyes and let her head droop a bit. Nothing would please her more than a bullet to the brainpan right now.

Nevas and Alrich continued to argue, Daniel and Teyla slowly calming each one down. Sam waited until they were a little calmer and forced her voice to keep from barking. "The Shade are following us, but as long as we have power, we can stay ahead of them. They're a threat to us right now because we don't know _how_ they're following us. The more we work together, the sooner we can figure out a way out of this mess."

Alrich again huffed. "I didn't ask to be _in_ this _mess_ in the first place. Why don't you simply set us down on a planet with an Ancestral ring and let us go on our own way? Why must the only way we can be on Atlantis be under _your_ rule?"

To Sam's surprise, Nevas came to her defense. "Because right now we've got a race of giant crystal space bugs chasing us, _not to mention_ the Olim who aren't all that happy with us either. Carter's a soldier and knows what to do."

Unwilling to stay silent, Sam further elaborated. "I've also been working on how the Shade may be following us. I've been looking into the database from Outpost Zeta Twelve and I'm hoping I can find something that'll help us."

Rolling his eyes, Alrich spat back. "This is what I mean. You use words I know nothing about. I don't _know _you, Colonel Carter. You _may_ have our best interests in mind, but I don't see that from my perspective."

Daniel cleared his throat and replied in Sam's defense. "Maybe you should see things from our shoes too. We've got two hostile races out there who don't tell the different between Traveler, Earth Born, or Settler."

Giving a slightly smug smile, Alrich retorted. "And who's been dealing with these two races that they've become hostile? I've never even seen an Olim or Shade."

Sam ground her teeth and realized just how tenuous the position they were in really was.

* * *

"I had an idea."

John groaned slightly, but Alicia was the one to voice his thoughts. "Do you ever _not_ have an idea?"

Chuck snorted, and took a sip of his traveler coffee. "We've got a perfectly good ship on the pier. We could use it as a weapons platform to distract the Shade. Give us a little more time."

Sitting in the control chair, quickly coming to the conclusion that an aneurism was the only way to escape, John explained as calmly as he could. "That'd be nice and all if you could convince a crew to commit suicide."

Alicia smiled deviously as she sat next to John, ready to relieve him at a moment's notice on the Ancient Control Chair. "You offering to drive, Chuck?"

Chuck shrugged. "Can't drive stick." He sighed as he rubbed his eyes. "You know… when _Galactica_ did it, I didn't think the actors did the best job showing how tired they were. Now I know better."

Turning to Chuck, John felt his rarely shown anger brewing up. "And what exactly does _that_ mean?"

Chuck shrugged. "Well, you're grouchy, irritable, and I don't think any of us has eaten anything but noodles in the past two days."

Sitting across from John, Alicia screwed her tired face. "Chuck, is there a point to this?"

Seeing that his odd ramblings were likely to get him shot if there _wasn't_ a point, Chuck sighed. "I'm just saying. I guess I'm Gaeta, Sheppard's Lee, and you're Starbuck."

John dropped his head into his hand again, this was getting to be too much and the aneurism wasn't far off.

Alicia for that matter made it worse. "Does that make Carter Adama?"

Adding insult to injury, Chuck mused. "I wonder how she sounds with the Edward James Olmos voice."

Feeling a great need to try and get a few minutes of shuteye, John got up and waved the whole conversation off. "Leese, you mind driving for a while? I'm going to go _hang_ myself."

* * *

"So am I dying?"

"Uhh no." Rodney shook his head as he watched the waves roll over the ocean. "I'm happy to say you're still quite alive, if somewhat more unconscious than usual.

Raising an eyebrow, Radek mused. "Then usual?"

Getting a slightly wry smirk, Rodney nodded. "Well, it's the only way to explain having to repeat myself time and time again."

Chuckling, Radek sighed as he leaned on the railing and took a deep breath of the fresh air. "Okay, if you wanted to prove who you are, you just did it." He didn't say anything else; neither of them did for a few moments. Finally, Radek asked. "So was it you speaking to me?"

Rodney shrugged in a negative fashion. "Again, no, but I was there for it all and I _may_ have nudged it a little. There's uhh... _issues_ with me actually taking an active role.

"_Issues_?" still confused, Radek cocked his head as he replied. "I thought you were Ascended."

"Yes, well…" Rodney shrugged around indecisively and rubbed his hands together. "...it's a whole bunch of complicated out of this world stuff. I won't bore you with the details; you wouldn't understand."

Harrumphing, Radek scoffed. "I would have thought such knowledge would make one wiser."

In a pure double take, Rodney turned to Radek with an indignant pose. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

Laughing now, Radek put an arm around Rodney, even if he knew it wasn't exactly real. "It means I've missed you, despite everything."

Rodney didn't say anything to that, but gave a small scoffing laugh. He had missed this, despite all he'd learned and seen as an Ascended being.

Again Radek waited. He felt so much freer now, almost like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders and he was now allowed to think clearly. "So if it wasn't you, then who was that voice?"

Deadpan, Rodney replied. "It was you."

Incredulous, Radek raised an eyebrow. "Pardon?"

"In simplest terms, you went crazy."

Radek made an O with his mouth, and then shook his head as he continued. "Okay... can you explain that?"

Rolling his eyes, Rodney replied in his typical fast and snarky tone. "Crazy, bonkers, lunatic, or as someone whom I've learned is quite an interesting man would say, 'three fries short of a happy meal.'"

Forgetting just how crazy Rodney sounded, Radek asked the question burning a hole in his head. "Then why did it tell me to prepare? I didn't know the Olim were coming. And what about the…"

Rodney shook his head and waved Radek silent. "No, no, no… It's not just them. And you did know, just subconsciously. I guess all those years of teaching you paid off, if in an unorthodox way." Rodney shrugged happily, amused for a moment, but then gave Radek a sympathetic vibe. "Look, you got obsessed okay? It's not healthy, I should know. You let yourself fall off the radar and unfortunately, with everything going on you slipped through the cracks. Granted the Olim may have accidentally fixed it, but everyone's worried sick about you now and I think you should take the time to reassure them."

A little surprised, Radek considered what he'd been doing when the voice began. Now that he really thought about it, it did make some sense. "I take it back, you _have_ changed."

Rodney again chuckled, and looking up at the sky knew his time was running out. "Well one doesn't become a being of almost infinite power without learning a thing or two."

Incredulous, and a little irritated, Radek snarked, "You are _not_ Q."

Smiling to himself, Rodney shrugged innocently. "Well at least that's better than what Sam said. A Q Complex maybe, but not a God complex."

Not to be outdone, Radek deadpanned. "Better than a Rodney Complex."

"Hey!"

* * *

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	3. Chapter 3

Ronon watched as Carson and Renata now treated Radek since the other major injuries had been taken care of. Hyped up on stimulants, Ronon could see everything clearly and with uncanny clarity. He'd never liked taking drugs before, even in combat situations, but he could see the benefit now.

They'd filled Radek with some strange foam. It wasn't the standard biofoam the Travelers used. It was slimier and sealed with a shine. Carson and Renata hooked all sorts of life support mechanisms to Radek, including a pair of IVs and breathing unit. Radek looked almost like a cyborg with all the wires sticking out of him.

It took almost an hour, and after this long period of time, Ronon was ready. Sleep was something that could wait. Someone had to be here to make sure Radek was alright.

That's what the others had forgotten. They'd become so engrossed in their own personal issues, or intangible things like the study of the Shade, or Traveler technology, that they'd lost the human touch. They'd lost the reason for doing such things, only doing it because it was an automatic response. Ronon knew better. He was ready to fight and die for these people because they were his family. Radek had rarely talked to him, but on many occasions they'd have a friendly little moment, and Ronon knew he owed his life to the man. Even more, Ronon knew that he'd been at least partially the cause for Radek being alive.

The Olim would _pay_, but that would come later. Right now, with Carson and Renata finally injecting a stimulant hoping to pull Radek out of his fugue state, Ronon would be there. He'd be the only one who was there for Radek and not because it was his job to.

* * *

"So will we be seeing you? I mean… if you really _are _Ascended, you can pop up every now and then… right?"

Sighing sadly, Rodney shook his head. "Doesn't work like that. I'm uhh… well I'm as popular up there as I was down here."

Snorting, Radek turned to Rodney with a sarcastic grin. "So they find you aggravating, annoying, irritable and any other number of pejorative traits?"

Rolling his eyes, Rodney simply shook his head once. "To put it in the most common denominator; It's _much_ more complicated than that. You may want to tell Daniel that Skaara says hi." Before Radek could say anything else, Rodney kept talking. "Listen… you're about to wake up. Things are going to feel _very _strange, but I want you to know that I do miss you, and that if you really want to 'honor' me as you said a few months ago, then get out of the lab every once in awhile and try and get…" Groaning softly in half-disgust. Rodney almost whispered. "…_laid."_

Radek turned to Rodney and prepared to defend himself, but then realized that Rodney had actually meant quite a bit more with the words than a simple biological instinct. Thinking hard about it, Radek realized that yeah, he really _did_ need to get laid. "It's good to know you're still alive… or at least exist in some form. As annoying as you were I still think Atlantis needs you."

The world began to fade around Radek, and he found himself having trouble breathing. The sweet bliss of a good lightheadedness filled his mind, and he looked up to see Carson, Ronon, and one of the Traveler medics staring down at him.

But there was more, _much_ more… Rodney wasn't lying, something was very confusing and Radek seemed to know instantly what was going on… how he didn't know, he just _knew_ he knew. "_Shade…"_

Carson and Ronon shared a look. Ronon growled and bowed his head, remaining silent. Carson squeezed Radek's shoulder both to comfort him and hold him down. "Easy lad, you've been severely injured. Don't try and move, just simple stuff for now alright?"

Radek took ragged breaths, even with the lightheaded high he now realized was morphine, there were shooting pains up his back. Oddly his legs didn't hurt. "_Shade….Olim…ZPM…"_

Carson nodded and motioned for Renata to grab an extra pillow. "We know, we sent _Daedalus _and Colonel Marks to retrieve them, but we've been on the run from the Shade ever since."

Ronon on the other hand studied Radek intently; something was different and he could tell in the way Radek seemed urgent in his tone, however weak it was. _"No… Shade… Olim… ZPM.. room…!"_

Carson didn't understand a word of it, and figured rest was the best medicine. "It's okay, Radek. Now I'm going to leave this button here in your hand; if the pain is too much just hit it and we'll come see what we can do okay?"

Radek turned from Carson, he just didn't understand. This was _Atlantis_ at stake! "_Ronon… ZPM… Shade…"_

Opening his eyes wide, Ronon finally understood. "What? The ZPM room?"

Radek nodded once, and Carson turned to Ronon. "The ZPM room? Ronon, that's where he was shot."

Renata sat down next to Radek and fluffed his pillow, letting him rest in comfort. "Don't try and speak anymore, Doctor, you need to rest so we can see exactly what we can do."

Radek wasn't listening, he'd done what he needed to do and now it was time to try and organize the jumbled up mess of his head. How he somehow now knew that Aleron was Aulus's son was a mystery too, but it didn't matter right now. Ronon knew what to do and Radek was sure he'd get it done as he now left the room in a powerful stride.

* * *

Sitting in Sam's office, Daniel sighed as he explained the situation to her. "The Settlers are saying that they don't have a voice, Sam. They're scared, they're frustrated, and they feel like they're out of control of their lives."

Sam tugged on her nose, stretching the skin above her eyes. The bullet in the brainpan idea was getting more and more enticing. "Of _course_ they're frustrated, but can't they see we're _trying?_ Dammit, Daniel! Can't you just tell them we're trying to _save_ their _lives_?!"

Staring at a suddenly loud Samantha Carter, Daniel realized that the few naps he'd taken were more than Sam had had, let alone any of the security forces. "I guess this would be a bad time to say that Alrich is complaining that the Travelers are getting access to areas, more food… basically preferential treatment."

Thankful that her office door was locked, Sam looked up at Daniel and gave him a pleading look. "Are you _kidding_ me? Of _course_ it looks like they're getting preferential treatment, there's more than _double _the number of Travelers than Settlers! Simple math says that they get more in order to keep things balanced!"

A little confused, Daniel deadpaned. "So… two equals one?"

Groaning, Sam squeezed her fist with her other hand and cracked her knuckles. "Don't be coy, Daniel. I'm not in the mood." She sighed, then opened her jaw to stretch the skin around her mouth. "I'm not surprised the Travelers might be getting more though… it _is_ them who're handing everything out. We can last maybe a month and a half without resupply if we need to, but we've only got limited power to be flying around the galaxy… not to mention only around four hundred drones left. We just can't keep running, Daniel… and having to deal with all these problems is just making it harder for us to figure out how the hell the Shade keep following us!"

With her voice raised again, Daniel complied with his explanatory voice. This _was_ Sam after all and stubbornness needed a little smacking around, even if it was only verbal. "I thought the database from Outpost Zeta Twelve looked promising."

Snorting at the odd name, Sam swore to kill John later. "Nothing… Nada… _zilch._ Not a _damn_ clue. I'm still guessing there's a Shade somewhere in the city, but like I said, unless everyone starts helping out, it's going to take _weeks _to search."

Daniel got up from his chair, now realizing that Sam had gone just a little too far, and he wasn't going to be any help right now. "I'm going to go and see if I can muster some help, but if you're right, then you also need to see what's going on around us. Nevas is holding the Travelers together, but you don't need to be an archaeologist to see what's going on."

Sam drew in a long breath through her nose. Daniel could sure be blunt sometimes. "I know… I'm trying, Daniel… dammit I'm _trying_ but_…_"

Daniel didn't stay to listen. Sam needed to be alone to come to her senses and Daniel wasn't going to be a listening board. At least not right away. That was for after she'd stewed awhile.

* * *

John took a bite of the loaf of bread and looked around for something to flavor it with. The mess had been abandoned, but a ton of the food was still here. Given the emergency of the situation when they'd left Saudade, everyone was in emergency crisis mode.

It had been so utterly sudden. One minute he was talking with Sam about Larrin, about what had happened and how they needed to see to her. Just as they'd agreed to go see her, Nevas had called screaming from the control room.

John instantly ran to the Chair Room, and plugging in he found that it was easier, simpler to access Atlantis's systems. He was sure of it now, something had 'upgraded' him and John wasn't sure he liked that idea. Especially not now that he saw what a "superior" being was capable of.

Finding a jar of fruit paste, John used his palm to balance himself on the table as he leaned over, and dipped the bread in like it were a nacho. Taking a bite, he groaned softly at the sheer sweetness of it. He'd gotten so accustomed to processed foods that the totally natural preserves tasted ultra strong to him.

The Shade had been bloodthirsty, if that was at all possible. With three ZPMs though, it wasn't hard to start up the stardrive and push off the planet. John had thanked God that Teyla had the foresight to evacuate the mainland to Atlantis, expecting an Olim reprisal.

When the Shade appeared overhead though, it had quickly become a fight for survival. Sam had given orders, and told John to keep the shields to a minimum because the Shade could absorb the energy.

That had exposed the piers… and Atlantis had taken more damage than John would have liked. But John had beat Kevin at his own game; forty drones into the sky, and two of the four Tinmen escorting the giant Shade were cut to ribbons.

Hyperspace had been rough, entering from atmosphere had been an interesting ride, but they were still worried about _Daedalus_. Kevin would have to luck out if he popped in on that armada, but if anyone could survive, it was him.

Now looking for a drink, John found a bottle of fruit juice and took a sip. He would have killed for a Redbull, or some ridiculously strong 'Rodney' strength coffee. How the man ever slept at night was a mystery to John.

The trip in hyperspace had been short, and dropping out about a hundred light years away, they'd been so sure that they'd gotten away. The Settlers had panicked, and the Traveler civilians had joined them. With only about seventy people trained in security left on the city, it quickly descended into chaos. John downed the whole bottle of juice as he thanked God once more that Daniel and Teyla were around. He and Sam were totally out of their element, and Larrin had proven elusive, walking out of the Infirmary when nobody was looking.

Carson had kicked himself for the lapse in watchfulness, but he was too busy to make it stick. Everyone had an eye out for Larrin, but she was nowhere to be found. John didn't want to think about what she might be doing right now… not after….

A sudden flutter in the floor, which meant something _really_ bad since Atlantis was so solid that a _flutter_ in the alloys of the floor meant an explosion at least, sent John's hand to his radio. "This is Sheppard! What's going on?"

Nevas's voice came through. The control room was held purely by Travelers now with Laura and Ronon out stalking strays. "_Sheppard! We just had an explosion at the base of Tower D7! Don't know what the hell caused it."_

Fearing the worst, John quickly remembered where the nearest armory was. They'd run out of AT-4s driving the Shade off in hyperspace, but a SCAR would do for now. "Got it! I'm on my way."

Somewhere in the back of his mind he was thinking about the fact that it had been almost two hours since the Shade last attacked, and that maybe this time they wouldn't come… or they'd come soon. But that was the part of his brain that had fallen asleep so it was completely missed.

Rushing down the hallways, John rounded the corner to the Armory just in time to see Ronon barreling through a pair of Traveler guards outside the door wielding a SCAR himself. "Ronon!"

Turning to John, Ronon motioned him forward. "Come on!"

Despite the invitation, Ronon didn't wait for John to arm up and follow. Entering the room, John quickly donned a TacVest and FN-SCAR. He attached a laser sight and underbarrel grenade launcher just in case. Without any heavy weapons but a few Javelins left, he'd need _something_ in case it was a Shade. The Javelin launcher was just too heavy for him to take and remain agile.

Locking and loading, John rushed out and followed Ronon's footsteps. From forty feet away, John caught Ronon entering a transporter and zipping off to some other part of the city. John quickly entered and keyed in the closest transporter to the explosion site and tried to find Ronon, but saw he wasn't anywhere around.

Pushing it aside, John moved ahead and found several Settlers rushing away from the scene. "What happened!?"

None of them answered, but upon seeing John they quickly turned around and ducked into a corner hallway. John instantly went on guard, feeling a certain degree of animosity and danger. He slung the rifle over his back and pulled his particle magnum out. Setting it to stun, he was reasonably sure that anyone who tried to jump him was going down first without a casualty.

As it turned out, no one was around, and walking towards the area where the explosion had occurred, John caught the distinct whiff of RDX. That meant only one thing. "_Goddammit_…" He keyed his radio in and stepping out onto the uncovered walkway, saw the damage. "This is Sheppard to Control Room… _Someone_ just blew up a bunch of C4 in Tower D7… I can smell it from a tower away." Surveying the damage from a distance, John was relieved that it seemed to be superficial. "Looks like they just blew a storage room out. Doesn't look too bad but if they have anymore C4, they might not miss next time."

A few moments passed, and John silently cursed that this day had just gotten worse. Sam's shockingly calm voice came through. _"Copy… come back to the Control Room… we're going to need you."_

* * *

What exactly was it about alcohol that helped? Rafaela tried to go over it in her head but found she just kept on coming back to lowered inhibitions, and a lack of concentration. Maybe that's what it was, the alcohol impaired her concentration enough that she couldn't focus on her best friend being in the _Daedalus_ Infirmary with a hole in her stomach.

Certainly the alcohol was to blame for Rafaela's current position, cuddled up with Dan on the edge of his bed, both still fully clothed. She'd begged him not to make her leave, and Dan had been brutal with his words. The man was _not_ a cuddly drunk, but seeing him down half a bottle in a single gulp after she'd asked to stay was awe-inspiring, and not in a good way.

When she'd asked why he did it, Dan simply slurred something about not fucking around with her. She hadn't understood it, but somehow she could tell he was doing it for a good reason. Dan always had a good reason for what he did.

So now, drunk and feeling the heavy weights on her eyes begin to win the fight, Rafaela prayed that maybe the alcohol could stave off the dreams as well. Maybe there was a reason cops and soldiers drank so much. At least Dan's hands weren't wandering too much. That would have been a _little_ too awkward for her liking.

* * *

"You _can't_ be serious."

Sam closed her eyes and bowed her head. With her palms on the console, Sam knew that she had really damned herself this time. "It's the only way… We lucked out that they hit a useless tower. What if they accidentally hit a power conduit next time?"

Daniel's face became angry, John equally so as he added his view. "They're _just_ scared Sam… They want to make sure you know that they're here and they're not going to stay silent. How is Martial Law going to help?"

Forcing her emotions down, Sam allowed her soldier side to completely dominate things. "It's done. Anyone who doesn't go to their specified quarantine zones in the central section of the city is going to be apprehended. Settler _and_ Traveler."

Daniel let a heavy sigh out his nose and looked away as he spoke. "You do realize they'll never trust you again?"

Sam pursed her lips, and then nodded. "It's the only way, Daniel. I can't worry about tomorrow if I can't do things that need to be done today with the fear that someone's going to accidentally blow us all to hell. Nevas doesn't like it either but he agrees. We _need_ order."

Disgusted, Daniel walked away ignoring any plea to come back. John couldn't meet Sam's eyes with his own, but he quickly noticed many of the Travelers in the control room had stopped working and were eyeing her.

Sam had thought she was alone before, but despite the fact that they were still following her orders, it was plain that she'd lost what credibility she had. Changing the subject, Sam motioned John to come into her office.

John followed, simply because he was too tired to argue something that was already happening. The aftermath of this was going to be hell, but to undermine Sam now would only be petty at best and suicidal at worst.

Closing the door, Sam instantly began to speak. "John, look, I know it's not right and I wouldn't order it if…"

John shook his head and still didn't meet her gaze. "Save it. You know this is wrong and even though it'll probably work, it didn't have to go down like this."

Seeing that even John wasn't going to back her on this, Sam was at least grateful he'd saved his rebuke for private quarters. This was a _hell_ of a way to start their relationship.

* * *

"Hey! Hold it!"

Jinto stopped and raised his hands, he could already tell someone had a rifle raised to his back. "I'm unarmed! I'm just heading to see Teyla!"

The Traveler fire team moved ahead, their weapons raised. "Get down on the ground! Now! On the ground!"

Jinto sighed softly and calmly dropped to his knees. This was ridiculous. He'd left Torren with Wex and Ilena and was sure he was okay, but there was a shortage of blankets and Ilena had had to give up her jacket to keep Torren warm. "My name is Jinto, I just need to see Teyla to get some supplies."

"Put your hands behind your head! Only warning!"

Jinto knew that with what he'd learned from Ronon, he could likely take on all three Travelers in a hand to hand fight. With a few dirty tricks Dan had taught him, he could humiliate them too. But that wasn't what was needed now. So he put his hands behind his head and continued calmly speaking. "Can you at least get a message to her?" No response, but he felt rough hands take his and use a cuff to tie them together. "Please, we need bedding and warmer clothes. It's for the children."

That seemed to elicit a little more humanity, and even as he was dragged to his feet, the Traveler in charge sighed. "Then tell us, don't go wandering off." He looked to the man holding Jinto. "Get him back and get him whatever he needs. Once you're done, radio us and we'll meet up." Looking back to Jinto, the Traveler said. "Sorry, but I can't let you go around her unescorted. You might not have heard, but some of your people blew up a tower on the other end of the city."

Jinto had indeed heard about the explosion. "I fail to see how a child's welfare is affected by that. And for your information, I've spent more time in this city that just about anyone else, I was _there_ when the Earthers first came. I know how dangerous things can be."

The Traveler narrowed his eyes as if mildly offended. "Then tell the rest of them: Don't screw around with technology they don't know. I don't wanna find someone burned from hooking a heater or boiler into a main power conduit."

Jinto huffed as the other Traveler began to lead him away. "Then the question is, why do we need those things in the first place?"

The Traveler remained silent, and realized with an aggravated sigh that it was a double edged question.

* * *

Entering the ZPM room, Ronon kept his ears open and his eyes sharp. There was _definitely_ something else in here. He could _feel_ it in his gut, smell it in the air, and even more, there was a nasty looking skid mark on the ceiling, as if something had tried to burrow through. It looked very fresh so Ronon assumed that the creature had just made it, likely hiding when Carter had come down earlier with her group.

Raising his rifle, Ronon began to follow the trail. Gods knew what the hell this thing was, but it was likely a Shade, and it was likely very dangerous.

John hadn't followed him, not that Ronon was really expecting him to. John had "bigger" concerns what with trying to keep the city in order. Bah! Ronon had heard the Martial Law decree over the PA just like everyone else and he didn't care. Unless he killed this thing, none of that would matter.

Clearing the room, Ronon saw a big hole bored into the side of the wall. The Shade creature had burrowed through the solid walls and was on the loose. Ronon moved forward just a step when he heard something behind him.

_Smart bastard…_

* * *

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	4. Chapter 4

Alicia nodded off for just a second, and then snapped back to reality. She _had_ to stay awake. She _had_ to keep at the chair just in case… Carson had declined her request for a stimulant since she was _supposed_ to be resting anyway. It was bad luck that Reyna had gone on _Daedalus_ otherwise Alicia would have had a connection in the Infirmary.

Atlantis felt a lot different than a Jumper, almost like she was wearing a second body around her own and could feel everything around it. A Jumper just felt like an extra set of eyes and hands.

Seeing John walk into the room holding a cup of what smelled like coffee, along with a thermos, Alicia knew she loved him then. _"Please God_, tell me that's coffee."

John chuckled once, and handed her the cup as he motioned for her to get out of the chair. "It's not fresh, but it's caffeine. Carson said for you to take it easy but I figure a little's better than nothing."

Accepting John's hand up, then limping to the side where a chair and cot had been set up, Alicia sat down as she bit her lip in pain. Taking a sip, Alicia was impressed that John remembered how she liked it. "Don't suppose you could sneak me a Dexadrine?"

Shaking his head, John allowed Atlantis's systems to reassert themselves in his somewhat fresher mind. "Not a chance. I oughta stun you so you can get some rest, but I guess that's the least of our worries now."

Alicia detected the bitterness in his voice, and she guessed what was bothering him. "I know… security's rounding everyone up… I could see it on the scanners." When John didn't say anything, Alicia tried to broach the subject. "What's Carter thinking? This is just going to make everyone angry."

John remained silent a few more moments, but then he spoke gently. "She's making the hard decisions… that's why _she's_ the Colonel." Desperate to get onto another topic, John looked to Alicia. "Listen… there's something I need you to do, but this can't ever get out."

Confused, Alicia leaned forward conspiratorially. "What is it?"

John sighed; he knew she wasn't going to like this. "I need you to question Aleron about… _certain things."_

Immediately sitting up straight, Alicia turned away from John. She'd told him plain out what happened and this was _not_ what she was expecting. "… why?"

Seeing that rank alone wasn't going to convince her, John leaned his head back and clenched his teeth. If he was going to ask for her trust like this, he was going to have to reciprocate. "…I need you to swear you'll never tell anyone what I'm about to tell you."

Now curious, Alicia turned back to John. "What is it?"

Holding back his ire, John began. "Did you see Larrin when we came back?"

Alicia shook her head. "No… haven't seen her actually. Figured she went to be with her people."

As good a guess as any and now John relived the moment on the Seeder Ship as he began to recount the experience. "I want you to ask Aleron about… _Olim interrogation techniques…"_

_That_ alone was enough to make Alicia shiver.

* * *

An alarm began to sound in the control room, and Sam knew it was happening again. This was the… _God,_ she forgot how many times they'd jumped away, but this was in the mid-high double digits now. "Where are they?"

The Traveler technician, ironically the same one who'd gotten through to Atlantis during the invasion, replied. "Uhh… _ancestors… _ they're about five minutes out… looks like they're heading right for us." Tedran pressed his eyes with his fists, he'd been awake for quite awhile now and prayed someone came to relieve him soon. He was just glad that unlike Carter and the other command staff, he wasn't the only person skilled at his job.

Sam sighed once, and then clicked her radio. "John… I think we should leave now. Enter hyperspace and head out of the Galactic Ring."

After a second of hesitation, John's voice came through. _" 'Outside the galactic ring?' You mean leave the galaxy?"_

Sam winced, this was a last ditch effort since nothing else, not even the database from the Seeder Ship, had helped. "I'm hoping the Shade won't follow us that far. Hopefully, it can give us some time to rest." A long shot, but it was worth a try.

John seemed to agree as his voice relented. "_Copy… hyperspace in…" _Another alarm began to sound, and the Travelers on duty immediately started to panic as they went from console to console. Sam looked down at hers and gasped in horror.

'Hyperspace Drive Non-operational.'

* * *

John tensed up, and tried to funnel power into the hyperdrive again. Still nothing. What the _hell_ was happening?! "Sam! The hyper…"

Interrupting him, Sam's voice cried out over the radio. _"I know, I know! We're trying to figure it out! Move us away from the Shade! Best speed!"_

In terms of sublight travel, Atlantis was the equivalent of an Air Craft carrier versus the Fast Attack Craft of the Shade. There was no way John could outrun them now. "That'll buy us a few minutes tops. Drones'll help but unless you…"

Again interrupting him, Sam barked. "_Head for the star! We can use its gravity for a boost. Maybe it'll draw them off us, too."_

Seeing the benefit of that plan, John quickly changed course in the system they were in. Atlantis banked and headed out sideways first, the only way John would be able to get a decent shot if necessary. The Shade would reach them first though, so he prayed that the hyperdrive was fixed beforehand.

* * *

Wrapping his torn shirt around his bleeding arm, Ronon scowled over the apparently intelligent Shade creature. The Shade weren't mindless after all. It had _ambushed _him. Only Ronon's quick reflexes and a rifle butt had kept him from getting eviscerated by the creature's razor sharp limbs.

It was smaller than a Sparky, but a lot faster. If anything, it reminded Ronon of that first creature Daniel had brought back. That creature had died with enough bullets, so would this one, especially given that Ronon had likely caved in its skull with his strike.

* * *

Realizing that the closest Shade, a SchoolBus of all things, was going to impact against the shields before they had a chance to reach the star, Sam decided to gamble. "John. Drop the shields around the piers."

John's voice came back indignant. _"What?!"_

Needing to explain herself, Sam closed her eyes and calmly laid it out. "If that thing touches our shields we're dead. It'll drain our ZPMs and cut our engine output. Let it get close enough to fire drones and take it out…" It was a sound enough plan…in theory.

It took almost a full twenty seconds before John replied. "_Copy… sensors aren't picking up anyone out there, but I'm doing it slowly anyway. Call out a warning."_

Seeing the benefit, Sam switched to Atlantis Wide PA. "Attention, this is Colonel Carter. We are currently dropping the shielding level on the city in order to escape from the Shade advance. Everyone who can hear me, come to the central section of the city, or you will be exposed to vacuum… _please…_"

Some of the Travelers raised their heads at the last word. They'd never heard Sam beg before.

* * *

Should she just let it overtake her? It would be a simple and easy way out. Dying in a vacuum wasn't an easy thing though. They used to scare children with stories of being exposed to vacuum and blowing up from the pressure differential… Larrin knew better. It would easily take minutes for it to overcome her. Definitely excruciating.

That time wasn't now, and stepping into the transporter as she saw the shield on the city begin to recede, Larrin transported to the lowest possible section of the central area. Someplace the scanners and roving patrols of security wouldn't find her. She still had at least _one_ more thing to do, and she prayed to God the uptight bastard was still alive.

* * *

The Shade Schoolbus charged ahead after Atlantis, now close enough for the drones to reach. John took a deep breath then fired off a salvo of ten drones.

The highly charged weapons burst out from the holds on the piers of the city, and the Shade Schoolbus continued to chase after them. Behind it, several Tinmen had released hordes of Gremlins. The odds were clearly stacked in the Shade's favor.

The Drones however worked wonders despite their energy properties. John spun them around like a double helix, tearing into the Schoolbus like a drill, easily hulling the creature. Several Gremlins and Sparkies leapt out, the Gremlins navigating easily with their organic propulsion, but the Sparkies flew out tumbling in the zero gravity atmosphere.

That didn't stop the Schoolbus's inertia though, and John had to slide the city to the side to avoid getting hit by the spray of broken shards of Shade. He wasn't able to completely avoid the spray of the acid hydration though, and it quickly burned pockmarks into the side of several towers.

The Tinmen were moving fast, intent on reaching Atlantis, which evidently was made of _exactly_ what they were looking for. They were out of range though and Atlantis would reach the sun first.

* * *

Desperately trying to figure out what was wrong, Sam ran the quickest diagnostics she could ever have imagined. When the diagnostic came back with a broken seal on a secondary conduit to the hyperdrive, she nearly fainted. The only explanation was a faulty repair job, or at least a lackluster one. She knew the Travelers did patch jobs all the time but this was ridiculous!

Typing furiously, Sam began to reroute power, but it would take a few minutes and they'd slingshot around the star in that time. Multitasking, she clicked her radio again. "John! Get the shield back up before you get too close to the star. I found the problem but it'll take time!"

As Sam continued to reroute the power through conduits that could handle the stress, she heard the Travelers behind her cursing and dealing with other maintenance problems. Atlantis would need some time to repair, but…

A sudden loud groan filled the air, and Sam instinctively looked out towards the Gate Room balcony. From her perch, she had a somewhat clear view of what was happening.

One of the towers… Tower D7 was beginning to rock back and forth.

* * *

There was nothing John could do. Atlantis was telling him that the gravity from the star was pulling on the city too much, and without the now expanding shield, the towers were subject to that gravity.

The shield had covered the tower within moments, but it was already too late. The damage the outer towers had incurred over the years, from the asteroids after fleeing Lantea, the damage the Wraith Darts and Cruisers had done in that last battle of Pegasus, even the few Shade that had managed to land before they could hyperspace away from Saudade… it all added up to the day's events.

Whoever had placed that C4 charge likely wasn't trying to bring down the tower, rather just make a statement, but now, with Atlantis under a dozen gee forces, the shearing point had been reached and it was slowly twisting apart.

John closed his eyes, and quickly shut down all power and rerouted every system in the area he could. Isolating that section of Atlantis, John could only watch as Tower D7 finally buckled, and twisted like a coil as it fell.

It wasn't a clear fall either like those mindless shows on Discovery Channel. The falling alloys slammed into another tower, the resilient metal cutting into the other tower causing massive damage. John closed his eyes tighter. Even though he couldn't see it, he could _feel_ the damage; it hurt in a way he'd never been hurt before, almost as if he were losing a limb that he never knew he had.

* * *

The destruction of Tower D7 along with half of D6 had exploded out like a fragmentation grenade, but Sam thanked God that it hadn't taken out any important power conduits. Nobody was there and nobody was hurt as far as she knew, but the damage was tremendous. She didn't know whether Atlantis would ever heal from a wound like that.

Only a minute left. At that rate this was going, they'd only last a little while…

A crashing sound behind Sam shocked her into awareness. The Travelers were stunned as well as Ronon drew his hand back from the object he'd dropped. He was wounded, his face cut along his cheek, his arm a bloody mess underneath a makeshift bandage. Ronon said nothing, but scowled at Sam.

Looking down, Sam saw what remained of a small Shade creature with what appeared to be a strange metal implant on it. It oozed acid and burned the floor of the control room slightly. Looking up at Ronon, he simply huffed and stormed away.

Realizing that he'd found the tracking "device." Sam winced in more pain than she would have preferred to admit to herself. Quietly, she turned and finished the reroute of power. "John… get us into hyperspace."

Silent, John simply did as he was ordered.

* * *

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	5. Chapter 5

Kevin had awoken with one _hell_ of a headache, but this was something that had to be done. With four of the Traveler ships now enroute, and another five already regrouped, that just left the _Navras, Alenko, _and _Sobek_. All were around Atlantis so Kevin was presuming them lost.

The remaining Captains had come to examine their options. All of them were shocked by what they heard.

Kevin let them argue, he let them go back and forth over whether to strike back or not. It was all pointless. He'd finally come to understand and even devise a loophole. That didn't mean he wasn't going to let them vent a little. He sure as hell wanted to.

Dan stood by the door, equally tired and looking like hell, but the Marine had a constitution of a bull, and given his 2-day stubble, a look that could intimidate one too. Kevin felt oddly appreciative of the man's loyalty.

Finally sick and tired of the back and forth, Kevin got up and calmly spoke. "Everyone…" Nobody listened, though a few noticed him. "_Everyone…"_ A few people paid attention, but there was still screaming. Kevin finally decided to get serious and looked over at Dan, he nodded and motioned upwards to the ceiling. Dan instantly understood and flipped out his particle rifle from under his jacket.

Two Captains noticed immediately, and ducked as Dan unleashed a quick three shot stun burst into the ceiling. It did no real harm. But it quickly silenced the Captains who hadn't even thought to bring a weapon.

Kevin merely stared at them all. "Thank you." He waited until they all sat down, their undivided attention on him and the angry Marine behind him. "Now… here's what we're going to do. We're going to gather the fleet, and we're going to check out every Settler village we can for any survivors…" Seeing a few objecting hands, Kevin snarled. _"Shut up! _Can you _imbeciles _even _hear _yourselves!? You're suggesting we wipe out an _entire race!"_

One Traveler Captain began to speak, but a harsh look from Kevin shut him up. They'd never seen Kevin enraged, but this was certainly not what they were expecting from such a professional man.

Kevin clenched his fist hard enough to crack his knuckles. "Now… I'm going to lay it out for you _nice and simple._ The last thing Katana ever said to me…" Kevin could hear his voice weakening, and he reinforced his will with his anger. "…was… '_Don't be Wraith.'_ … I've thought about that, and you know what that means to me?" Seeing no show of hands, Kevin elaborated through clenched teeth. "…That means I'm gonna _kill_ the bastards that killed her, but the people who had nothing to do with it have nothing to fear from me. If any of you disagree, tell me now so I can have Captain Drake here explain it to you."

Captain Rutagen finally found the courage to speak. "Kevin… how can you say that? They invaded Atlantis, they tortured our people, they _killed _Katana! They _nailed her to the godsdamned wall as an example! They deserve to die!"_

Letting a bit of his rage go, Kevin slammed his fist into the table shocking everyone at his ferocity. "_You think I don't know that?! I'm gonna find the motherfucker that did it and rip his lungs out through his ass! Don't any of you DARE think I'm not going to kill any Olim, Shade or anything else this galaxy throws at us! But I'm NOT going to kill people who don't deserve it, and NEITHER ARE ANY OF YOU!"_

* * *

Alone in her office, Sam considered just passing out on her desk. At least then they could say she'd been working herself ragged for them all. But, while that _was_ the truth, it wasn't enough. She'd failed them all. So many people were dead because she didn't prepare. If it wasn't for Radek…

_Oh God… Radek…_

The doors to her office opened, and John walked slowly in. The city had come out of hyperspace and it was now five hours and no Shade. They were evidently in the clear.

The Dexadrine in her system was wearing off, and soon she'd pass out whether she wanted to or not. The last thing she wanted right now was to argue with John. "What is it?"

John stayed still for a moment. A part of him want to unleash and another part wanted to stay silent. But in the end, he realized Sam had suffered enough. If anything was going to get through to her, it was herself. "…No more casualties. Everyone's calmed down. Still need a place to land."

Sam almost cried as she heard John's voice. She knew he was having mercy on her, but Sam knew she didn't deserve it. It wasn't dignified right now though, so she simply pushed her tablet ahead on the desk. "The seeder ship had this in the database… says there's an Ancient Outpost there… figure it's likely habitable… maybe another Outpost Zeta Twelve."

John shrugged and deadpanned. "Thirteen, really." It wasn't funny, but then again it wasn't meant to be.

Neither one looking at the other, Sam continued professionally. "SitRep?"

Gulping, John sighed and gave it succinct. "Carson's asleep. Nevas, too. Laura took a Dexa not too long ago so she's night watch. Settlers and Travelers are quiet. Still don't know who bombed D7. Ronon's in the infirmary. Radek's awake…barely. And Alicia is questioning Aleron."

Feeling _very_ guilty, Sam asked about the one person no one had forgotten about amidst all the other forgotten people. "Any word on Larrin?"

John simply shook his head.

Breathing deeply, Sam just wanted to sleep. But it would have to wait just a _little _more. She wanted to be awake when they arrived at the new planet. John simply stayed silent, and left her office.

* * *

She was coming for him. Even in his weakened state it was easy to tell. How she'd tracked him down was a mystery, but given his outcast nature, someone must have told her. She was _furious._

Could he blame her? Aquilina _had_ tried to kill her. As far as Carson would tell him, she'd recover quite well as the knife had only penetrated muscle. Perhaps an undetectable limp and soreness, but nothing compared to a loss of depth perception.

The primitive medicine the Atlanteans used was effective despite the brutal nature of it. On Centaurus, they'd merely clone him a new eye and set it using the Ancient healing devices. It would hurt and definitely be an experience he wouldn't look forward too, but this 'maxidex' and 'fentanyl' seemed to dull the pain. His other eye was still blurry though. Carson said a few weeks for his vision in his right eye to go back to normal.

Alicia was breathing heavily. Her hand held a drawn Particle Magnum and her limp looked painful. Aleron questioned how such a comparatively advanced young woman could be so… _impulsive._ "If you're going to shoot me in the back, aim high. Make sure you destroy the vital organs."

Frustration and even more anger. But still… that distinct sense of indecision and hesitation. Aleron _hated_ that. Alicia seemed to be hiding it though. "Maybe I _want_ you to suffer."

Turning, Aleron noted Alicia suppress her gag at his gouged eye. He'd taken off the bandage for the meanwhile, preferring the air to the bloody mess of gauze. "Too late." Seeing that she was still indecisive, still questioning whether she should shoot or not, Aleron stepped forward from his position on the Balcony. Alicia was amazed at how fast he'd recovered from the grievous injury. "Well if you're going to kill me, then kill me now. Otherwise ask your questions."

Frowning, Alicia's gun hand trembled. "Stay out of my head."

Scoffing, Aleron shook his head. "I don't need to feel your emotions to read you. You're pathetic and you look it."

Angered, Alicia raised the magnum to his head. "You _bastard… why'd you stop me?"_

Deciding to _really_ push her, and figure out once and for all if she'd ever _really _shoot him in the back, instead of showing fear, Aleron grabbed her gun hand and forced the barrel into his own forehead. "Shoot."

Alicia was shocked, she'd wanted to get an answer, but evidently she'd have to do a lot more to intimidate him. She tried to pull her hand away but he showed remarkable strength as he held her there. Her other arm was still too wounded to do much, and she was unbalanced on her good leg.

Aleron scoffed again, and let her hand go. "Leave me alone. Don't bother me again until you decide to pull the trigger or evolve." He turned fully recognizing what was coming and bracing himself.

Furious, Alicia raised her hand to pistol whip him. To her shock, her hand suddenly stopped cold as Ronon's one good arm grabbed her wrist and squeezed. "Don't. Even. Try."

Alicia grimaced in pain, nothing was going right now. But to her surprise, Aleron spoke up. "Let her go, Ronon."

When Ronon simply let go, Alicia backed off from both of them. The cold vastness of space behind them only highlighted how alone she really was right now, and exactly how messed up she'd gotten.

Not bothering to watch Alicia limp away, Ronon growled softly and muttered. "Aquilina… family?"

Aleron smiled; leave it to Ronon to guess it on the first try. "Sister. Younger. About as wise as a tree stump but…"

Ronon nodded once and sighed. "Family…"

"Yes… much like Atlantis is to you." Ronon turned away at that mention though, but Aleron didn't care. Ronon would have to face some truths as well. It was only deserved given all he'd sacrificed. "You're not meant to be cold, Ronon. No one is. Don't alienate your family because you see problems. Help them."

Ronon snarled softly, he didn't like hearing it, but after seeing Radek in the infirmary, he knew it was the truth. Hearing it from a total stranger to the city was a stark reminder. "How old'd you say you were again?"

Aleron chuckled at the question. "That… is more complicated than I'm willing to get into right now. Especially with my head as full of hot air as it is. Where does Carson _get_ this medicine? Gourds and roots?"

* * *

Reyna sighed as she walked back into the infirmary on _Daedalus_. Five hours of nightmares was better than nothing, and at least now she could make sure the fifteen patients she had left were well taken care of. Kraya had just gone off duty as well, but remained in the infirmary sleeping in a little cot.

Checking on her patients one by one, Reyna replaced IVs, checked set bones with a scanner, and even gave comforting hand holds and shoulder squeezes to those who were awake. Giving comfort was one of those few things that kept her going in this profession. Reyna had rarely ever had to deal with complicated medical procedures like this before, but Carson had taught her well.

Now though, as she opened the curtain to Dusty's bed, she was surprised to see Rafaela inside, and not just sitting there, but head and shoulders on the bed itself next to Dusty, her arms pillowed underneath.

Unwilling to wake her, Reyna simply pulled out an extra blanket from the supply closet, and draped it over her friend. Dusty's prognosis was improving, and with any luck in a few days she'd wake up from this coma… that was the hope anyway.

Reyna did note that Rafaela smelled a little ripe, and not exactly body odor either. In the somewhat sterile atmosphere of the Infirmary though, she couldn't make out the difference between ethyl alcohol, and isopropyl. In the end, it really made no difference as Reyna just pushed her own worries down, and continued to monitor her patients.

* * *

**End of Episode 22**

_Teaser for Episode 23 – Verve Part 1_

**Laura Cadman:** "Alright, we've got two mission objectives: One, find the settlers on the planet, two, bring those settlers back. Any questions?"

**Aralus:** "Yeah, what exactly are we supposed to tell them? The big lights in the sky are gonna rain fire down on them?"

**Laura Cadman:** "Excuse me?"

**Aralus:** "Whoosh! Big Black spear head in sky! Spear head throw fire! Must be god! Aooga Booga Worship!"

**Laura Cadman**: "Ten million sperm and _you_ won the race? No wonder the Olim wanna kill us."

* * *

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